


Enstars Rarepair Week

by blaziken



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Dreams, Kaoru is a Florist and is very gay, M/M, RITSU AND MIKA ARE IN LOVE, Seasons, Soulmates, wataru and shu are in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:33:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blaziken/pseuds/blaziken
Summary: A collection of drabbles for Enstars Rarepair week! Each chapter is a different pairing, here's the list of prompts and pairings I chose. I'll be uploading them each day through Rarepair week! Tags will be updated as fics are added.Day 1: Dreams - Eichi/ShuDay 2: Soulmates - Natsume/KogaDay 3: Seasons - Wataru/ShuDay 4: Stars - Ritsu/MikaDay 5: Flowers - Kaoru/Shu
Relationships: Hakaze Kaoru/Itsuki Shuu, Hibiki Wataru/Itsuki Shuu, Itsuki Shuu/Tenshouin Eichi, Kagehira Mika/Sakuma Ritsu, Oogami Kouga/Sakasaki Natsume
Comments: 14
Kudos: 43
Collections: Enstars Rarepair Week





	1. Dream of Eternity (Eichi/Shu)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Dreams.
> 
> In which Eichi and Shu have been meeting in their dreams for as long as they can remember.

Itsuki Shu had dreamt about the same boy every night for as long as he could remember. At night he would lay his head down to rest, and throughout his sleep he would be conscious again, sat in their familiar seats across from each other in Shu's vast dreamscape. He wasn't particularly sure when it had started, perhaps the other boy had always been there, but as a young child, Shu realised very quickly that his dreams always consisted of the same person 

The small blonde boy with the piercing blue eyes was always present, and in the beginning, he was just as confused as Shu himself. Though, it only took a few nights of this...conscious dreaming for Shu to realise that this boy wasn’t simply a figment of his imagination. The first time they spoke was when Shu truly believed that: he finally worked up the courage to ask the other boy’s name, and he seemed just as taken aback. 

“Tenshouin Eichi…” The blond boy responded, though he held about as much confusion in his eyes as Shu did. “And what’s your name?”

“I’m Itsuki Shu… I just turned seven.” Shu flashed Eichi a wide smile, and this seemed to relax the other slightly.

Eichi responded with a shy smile of his own, “I turn seven next month…”

* * *

The thought that Eichi was an elaborate figment of his imagination was always on the edge of his mind, but as the boys grew older and met every day within Shu’s dreams, the majority of him was convinced that couldn’t be the case. There’s no way his young mind could create such a convincing person in his head, regardless of how much time he spent on his own talking to his dolls. 

They’d both share stories of their day, and Shu learned early on that Eichi was a very sickly child. Very often when they ‘met’, Eichi would explain how once again he was led in a Hospital bed, hooked up to machines that monitored him and kept him as well as possible. Though in their dreams, Eichi’s physical limitations were negligible: he could run about and play to his heart's content, and as they got older, Shu began to realise that Eichi’s smile was the most important thing to him. It was something he was determined to protect, something that into his teen years he could even have said was _love_ , even though neither of them knew where to find the other. 

That had been their one unspoken rule: neither of them were particularly sure _why_ that had become the case, but whenever they talked about school or hospitals or places they’d visited, they never _specified_ where they were. Perhaps they’d both decided it was their last line of defence. That if this all _was_ fake, they could at least say they’d never tried to find each other. After all, they spent countless hours each night talking to each other and revelling in the other’s company, the need to find the other in their waking life wasn’t particularly their top priority.

It was strange, though. At 15, Shu started to realise that he was...missing… some of his nights of dreaming. He was always fully aware of his dreams every night, but it seemed the closer he got to the Entrance Ceremony… to his first day at Yumenosaki, he was waking up without his dreams. 

It scared him, and it seemed to be scaring Eichi too. Their dream-meetings were getting less and common, and as Shu donned his Uniform that morning for his first day at Yumenosaki, for the first time, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to tell Eichi about it that night, o'r, any night for that matter. There was an emptiness forming inside Shu, a sense of loneliness he hadn't felt, well, ever. Eichi had been by his side for as long as he could remember, and as he clutched Mademoiselle to his chest and walked down the halls of Yumenosaki, he wasn't sure that he would ever be be able to feel whole again.

That was when he heard the voice. 

"Itsuki?" 

Shu's mouth was dry as he heard his name being called. He knew that voice, that impossibly familiar voice, and he was convinced his knees were about to buckle underneath him, but through a sheer force of will he remained upright. He took a deep breath and steeled himself as he turned, not wanting to get his hopes up.

There, stood directly behind him, the most beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes Shu had ever seen. They were staring back at Shu with a mixture of recognition, awe, and something else Shu couldn’t quite work out, but he was here. 

“Tenshouin?” 

They stared at each other for who knows how long, the world around them seeming to melt away as they both realised they’d _found_ each other. 

Neither of them could tell who moved first, but in a blink of an eye, they were wrapped in each other's arms, clutching the fabric of each other’s blazers until their knuckles were white. The bustle of the school around them meant nothing to them as they were finally together.

They never saw each other in their dreams again, but that was fine.

Their dreams were overrated anyway.


	2. Our Inevitable Destiny (Natsume/Koga)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Soulmates
> 
> In a world where your Soulmate's first words to you are written on your arm, neither Natsume or Koga are particularly fond of theirs.

The first time the words appeared on his skin, Natsume was convinced there was something _very_ wrong. For his soulmates words to him to be so _vulgar_ must have been a mistake. But every adult he asked reassured him (though it wasn't very reassuring), that the soulmate words were never wrong, that the contents of the words didn't _matter_. What mattered would be the warmth he'd apparently feel the moment he heard those words from his destined. Natsume wasn't convinced, why would he want to be destined for someone who spoke that way? He very often stared down at the words on his forearms and clicked his tongue in disgust.

' _What the fuck are you looking at, huh?'_

He almost felt… ashamed of his soul mark: he knew in his heart that he shouldn’t, but that did nothing to stop the disgust he felt whenever he looked at it. 

The thing with the soul marks was that it never gave any indication of _when_ you were going to meet your fated one. Natsume certainly wasn’t expecting to meet him at Yumenosaki of all places. His entire first year, he had managed to avoid his supposed soulmate, something he was fairly certain he wouldn't have been able to handle on top of, well, _everything._ The war took a toll on them all, and he was eternally grateful to his precious Niisans for trying to protect him all that time. 

But as he transferred into his second year, and started taking stock of the people around him, that's when he truly started to notice. How could he not notice? The mutt that had been hanging around Rei since last year, that had idolised Rei, and had now become part of Rei's unit...Undead, was it? It was hard for Natsume to _not_ watch him. The way he spoke, the way he _moved_ was so interesting and Natsume found himself staring at him whenever he could, _especially_ when he was around Rei. Was he jealous? Jealous of who? Of Koga, for being able to be around his Niisan without a care in the world? Or was he jealous of Rei? He grit his teeth at that idea, and was about to turn away in anger at himself when Koga locked eyes with him.

"What the fuck are you looking at, huh?"

Natsume felt his stomach drop. No, absolutely not. He refused to accept it, he liked watching Koga because he was _interesting,_ not because he was his soulmate. Natsume stood sharply and glared at Koga with all the disgust he could muster, and marched out of the room, ignoring as Rei shot him an inquisitive gaze as he stormed past. He turned left at the door and spun around and leant against the wall next to the door, his mind in turmoil. Deep down, he knew his soulmate was Koga. He’d felt the pull the first time he’d laid eyes on him, but he hadn’t wanted to believe it. And here he stood, now acting like a coward instead of facing his fears, facing his _soulmate_ head on. He knew he needed to go back in and face Koga, but he at least afforded himself a few moments to collect himself. 

* * *

Koga’s soul mark had _always_ confused him. Both the words contained in the space on his forearm, and the _way_ they were written. 

_‘You don’t get to speak to Rei-niisan that wAY’_

Who the hell was Rei? Who the hell ends their sentences with _katakana?_ How was that even a way someone could speak? Since the first time his mark had manifested, Koga’s questions had never been answered. That is to say, he never felt the need to _ask_ anyone about it. What if they thought he was weird? Maybe because his soulmate was weird, they’d think he was weird too? 

He hated it, and the older he got, the more he was _convinced_ he'd be able to avoid his soulmate, he'd be able to run until the strings of fate no longer bound him to his destined. 

But he couldn't run anymore, not after he started in Yumenosaki and found Rei. Koga knew his obsessions with Rei wouldn't last forever, and he tried desperately to ignore the small voice in the back of his mind trying to convince him that part of his obsession was _knowing_ it would bring him close to his soulmate. But that was stupid. Koga didn’t _want_ to meet his soulmate. But, that didn't stop him from following Rei around like a puppy for his first year. He hated that it was the nickname he'd managed to obtain from everyone around him, but he couldn't deny that it wasn't true. 

Going into his second year though, things changed: _Rei_ changed. He wasn't the badass delinquent Koga had idolised anymore and it upset Koga. He wasn't particularly sure how to process the way he felt anymore either, so he found it turning to anger and annoyance more often than not. 

And then that shitty redhead happened. 

Koga wasn’t sure when he finally noticed Natsume, of course he knew who he was: one of the Five Oddballs, the most talented in Yumenosaki, Rei’s precious friends, blah blah blah. Koga didn’t care about that. What Koga truly started to care about was the way Natsume seemed to watch him intently, whenever they were both around Rei. Koga didn’t understand what he felt when he caught Natsume staring, and he hated that he didn’t understand. So he finally lashed out and regretted it immediately.

They were the first words he’d ever said to Natsume, and by the way Natsume’s face paled, Koga knew he’d fucked up. He kicked the nearest object to him, (a chair unfortunately received the brunt of his anger ) and glared at Rei, who was watching him carefully. 

“Ah the youth of today, perhaps you should watch how you speak to certain people, Wanko~”

Koga just kicked the chair again instead of responding to Rei and swore under his breath, but Rei didn’t let up.

“You’re going to have to apologise to him sooner or later, perhaps you should run after him like a good little doggie.”

Koga stopped and glared at him, then, and clenched his jaw in anger. “Shut the fuck you you shitty Vampire, what the hell do you know, huh?” He was about to continue his onslaught, when Natsume reappeared through the doorway and came to stand defiantly in front of Koga.

“You don’t get to speak to Rei-niisan that wAY. He obviously knows mORE than he lets oN, you clearly just don’t understand hIM.”

Koga’s blood ran cold as he stared at Natsume in disbelief, he didn't want it to be true but deep down he'd always known. That didn't mean he wasn't allowed to hate it though. Natsume seemed to realise in that same moment that, that was the first time he'd actually spoken to Koga and, _oh. Now they both knew._

Rei sighed loudly from the comfort of his chair, which seemed to break them both out of their minds spiralling, "At least you both don't have to continue looking, now. I will clear out of the music room, and allow you two children to talk properly." He stood lazily and made his way to the door without allowing them to acknowledge him, "Ahh, perhaps my beloved Shu will finally accept my affections~" He shut the door firmly behind him, leaving Koga and Natsume in the music room in silence, both glaring daggers at the other. 

"Just so you're awARE, I refuse to accept this one bIT." 

Koga laughed curtly, "As if I want anythin' to do with a weirdo like you?" 

There was an obvious sadness that washed over Natsume's face at that comment, and once again Koga knew he'd made a mistake. As far from acceptance as they both were, they were still inevitably bound by fate, and in such close contact as this, especially now that they knew they were each other's Soulmate? Their emotions fed off each other and influenced the other more than they realised. 

"Do you really think I'm that strANGE? I may be one of the oddbALLS, but I am still a human like yOU." 

Koga grit his teeth and ran both his hands through his hair in frustration, then turned and dropped himself onto one of the chairs that survived his earlier anger. "Shit, I don't like this destiny bullshit, why don't I get to decide myself who I love? It's crap and I hate it." He didn't look up to see Natsume's expression, he wasn't sure if he could deal with the face he could _tell_ Natsume was showing, so he carried on. "But maybe you might turn into not an annoying asshole ...y'know… if we started off as friends… that doesn't mean I like it, or you! But at least I can stop worrying about what shitty asshole I'm bonded with, because I know now that _you're_ the shitty asshole. And that may not be so bad…" 

Koga spared a glance up at Natsume once he was finished, and the smile he was faced with was blinding. He wasn't sure that Natsume was even aware he was making that face (because god it looked so _weird_ on him), but Koga couldn't help but smirk in response.

Oh fuck. It's already started. 

But perhaps them being friends wouldn't be as big of an issue as the pair of them made it out to be.

Who knows, years down the line they may even eventually admit to being in love. But, don't let them hear you say that.


	3. Landscape of Pure White (Wataru/Shu)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Seasons.
> 
> A series of vignettes of Wataru and Shu through the seasons.

Spring 

Spring is Shu's favourite season: not too cold that he feels his teeth chatter and his muscles seize up, and not too hot that he feels the damp, prickly heat pooling at his back. By those means, Autumn is a close second, but Spring brings with it an elegance and refinement not quite found in Autumn. The soft, gentle breezes that carry the Sakura on its back, the smell of the earth warming up from the months of cold, and the pleasant calm of Wataru: previously subdued due to the cold, slowly regaining energy like a bear out of hibernation.

Shu loves to watch the way Wataru's hair blows in the wind, the way the pink of the Sakura blends so perfectly with Wataru's powder blue hair, and the way his smile, even against the elegance of the Sakura trees, is the most beautiful thing Shu has ever seen. If you asked him, Shu would tell you how he has an aversion to sitting on the floor for picnics in the park, but the truth is far from that. The blanket Wataru provides is old and frayed, well past its time, but the way he is always so careful and delicate with it fills Shu with so much love he can sometimes hardly stand it. He loves to watch Wataru's face when he bites into any of the assorted cakes and sandwiches Shu makes for them, the delight always a warm glow across his face. Wataru may be an astounding actor, but Shu knows his reactions are always genuine. 

Shu loves the Spring, it allows him the pleasure of watching Wataru bloom and glow around him, filling the space with his gentle light, and enticing more soft smiles out of Shu than he would _ever_ admit to. 

  
  
  


Summer 

Summer is when Wataru truly feels alive, the heat and the sun and the _freedom_ seems to fuel him: his movements are bolder, his passion burns brighter, and the kisses he shares with Shu have a heat and intensity that leaves Shu breathless. Wataru is the most active in the summer, his lives and plays and all manner of activities are conducted with a fervour unmatched by _anyone_ during those few months.

In comparison though, the summer leaves Shu languid and lethargic. The heat seeps into his bones and saps his spirit, so he more often than not seeks comfort in air conditioned rooms, clutching Mademoiselle to his cheek to savour her cool, porcelain skin.

Though he still makes an effort for his love, albeit with a permanent scowl set between his pale brows and the monotonous swish of his hand fan. The scowl never deterrs Wataru, though, not even once. The moment he lays eyes on his beloved’s glare from within the crowd, Wataru is spurred on to an impossible degree. 

The burning passion Wataru feels for his art is powerful, but it is nothing compared to the intense heat that sears through him at the sight of his love. 

  
  


Autumn 

Autumn for Shu is a time for artistic betterment. He draws inspiration from everywhere and everyone. Though without even realising it, Wataru is always his main source. To see a perfect orange leaf sat delicately between strands of Wataru’s hair is a memory Shu could draw upon for eternity. The warm smile afforded to him as he reaches out to pluck the leaf from his hair, and the soft, pink glow as a blush spreads across Wataru’s face as Shu presses it to his lips. 

Shu has produced some of his most beautiful designs in autumn, basking under the warm breeze of an autumnal sunset, with his love quietly reciting lines by his side. Autumn is content and peaceful, the air cooled enough to allow Shu to truly take in the way the light brightens Wataru’s being, for Shu to take in how overwhelming his love for Wataru is.

Winter 

Most would assume that Summer is Wataru’s favourite time of year, though if you take the time to ask, he will excitedly inform you that Winter is his favourite. Winter is cosy and comfortable: to sit on a park bench with his love wrapped up in layers of warmth, staring up at the star-lit sky, is Wataru’s perfect dream. He loves to walk the softly lit streets at night, hand in hand with Shu, and listen to him chatter idly and complain _furiously,_ though Wataru doesn’t mind. Wataru never minds: he adores how animated Shu is when he is passionate about something, and Wataru always manages to suppress a giggle when Shu realises with confusion, that both his hands are occupied. One, fingers laced together with his own, the other holding onto Mademoiselle with a delicacy only ever reserved for her. 

It took him a long time, but Shu holds Wataru's hand without much issue, now. More often than not, Wataru will purposefully forget his gloves on the colder days, and without fail Shu will scold him for a few moments, then reach out and take Wataru’s hand in his own to pull him along, still muttering under his breath. Shu always takes care of him, and the warmth of his presence against the brisk chill of winter is enough to stoke the fire in Wataru’s soul. 

  
  


Wataru loves Shu, and if Shu’s words and actions are anything to go by? Shu loves Wataru all the same.


	4. The Moon and You (Ritsu/Mika)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ritsu and Mika doze under the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a super short one, I'm sorry. My brain poofed all day and this was all I managed to get out!

When Mika stares up to the stars, he sometimes is convinced he’s looking into Ritsu’s eyes: the warmth he feels staring into the endless expanse is sometimes overwhelming. But here and now he can stare up at the stars and still feel grounded. 

The pair of them are laid out on a small blanket in an empty corner of an unnamed park and for Mika, it couldn’t be more perfect. The night sky is clear, and they travelled far enough away from the bustle of the city that there was far less light pollution than usual. So, they were both able to observe the stars in all their glory. 

But Mika still always felt like he was falling whenever he stared up into the sky, so he was always glad he had the very real warmth of Ritsu by his side. It didn’t matter that Ritsu was currently dozing, his head resting on Mika’s shoulder, his hand clutching Mika’s. It didn’t matter. Ritsu was here, that was all Mika cared about. 

Ritsu stirs after a while, and Mika turns his head down to meet Ritsu’s gaze. There, those eyes so full of love and wonder and  _ stars  _ that they take his breath away. Sometimes it’s all Mika can do to reach down and kiss Ritsu, hoping the magnitude of his love can be shown in that one simple gesture. It can, Mika finds, as Ritsu always lets out satisfied hums when he does so.

“What are you thinking about, Mikarin?”

“Nnn, ‘m thinkin’ about th’ stars, about how bright they are ‘n how beautiful they are. ‘N how much they remind me of you.”

“Ohoh~ You’re thinking about a lot, Mikarin~”

Mika hums in response, then reaches down to kiss Ritsu again.

“‘m also thinkin’ bout how much I love ya, Ritsu-kun~”


	5. A Velvet Heart (Kaoru/Shu)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flower shop AU! Kaoru runs a Florist and Shu thinks he's beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like 8 days late (and Rarepair Week already ended) but I still wanted to get this WIP finished and posted!

The first time Shu entered Hakaze florists, he was overwhelmed in a number of ways. The smell was, of course, very overpowering (but not unpleasant, Shu realised), the huge array of flowers was breathtaking, but what caught Shu off guard the most was that the man behind the counter was the most beautiful person Shu had ever seen. He knew he was in the shop for a _reason_ but he couldn't for the life of him remember that reason in that moment. He clutched Mademoiselle a little tighter in his hand as the man turned to greet him with the most dazzling smile he’d ever seen.

“Good afternoon! I’m Kaoru Hakaze, welcome to my shop! ~♪”

Shu was _speechless_ , and the man in front of him, _Hakaze_ , was staring at him expectantly, but Shu was frozen in place. He took a deep breath and averted his gaze, holding up Mademoiselle in front of him. 

『Fufu, Good Afternoon Hakaze-kun, this cute boy is Shu-kun, and my name is Mademoiselle, you can speak to me if that’s okay?~』

Kaoru faltered for just a moment at the false, high pitched voice that came from Shu, but after he took in the scene in front of him, he understood what was happening almost immediately. Without missing a beat, he switched his gaze down to the porcelain doll and addressed her instead. “It’s nice to meet you, Mademoiselle-chan, what can I do for you today?”

『You’re a good boy it seems, Hakaze-kun~ Shu-kun and I need to buy some flowers for someone dear to us, it's for Shu-kun's Grandfather, and it’s his birthday tomorrow~』

Kaoru nodded, already putting a bouquet together in his mind. "I have just the idea for it, do you have anything particular you'd like it to contain?"

『We don't mind, as long as it's elegant. We'll leave it to you, Hakaze-kun~』

"Then you're in luck, I don't have any other orders right now so if you're happy to wait, I can get one put together right now for you. ☆"

『Thank you very much, Hakaze-kun~』

Shu didn't make eye contact as he helped Mademoiselle to bow, then turned and situated himself in a corner of the shop, looking very intently at a large array of lavender plants. 

Shu heard the shuffling from behind the counter along with Kaoru singing under his breath, and Shu's heart skipped a beat: Kaoru was _good,_ and his voice stirred something in Shu that he hadn't felt in a long time. But Shu was too overwhelmed to make sense of anything at that moment, so when Kaoru approached them with a finished bouquet (Shu looked up long enough to study it fully), Mademoiselle continued to talk. 

『Ufufu Hakaze-kun, it's so perfect, you really are a good boy, aren't you? We're very grateful to you~ 』

Kaoru smiled widely at her as Shu handed over his credit card (much to Kaoru's surprise), and he couldn't help but quickly take a glance at the name. _'Itsuki Shu.'_ It was nice to put a full name to this rather eccentric man in front of him, but Kaoru wasn't _that_ nosy to go and look him up. He was just… intrigued is all.

Once he'd finished, he handed over the bouquet to Shu (who once again took it, much to Kaoru's surprise), and Kaoru was _certain_ he saw a blush creep into Shu's face as their hands touched. But, Kaoru didn't get much more chance to talk, as once Shu had the bouquet clutched in his arms, he bowed with Mademoiselle in his arms and exited the shop before Kaoru could even register.

"Hmm, he was... interesting~"

* * *

Shu returns to Hakaze florists just over a week later, and this time he was prepared. He'd made sure the shop was empty before he entered, and Mademoiselle had already given him the _talk_ he’d needed to not shut himself away again. He pushed open the door and was, once again, almost immediately greeted with Kaoru’s dazzling smile.

“Good afternoon Shu-san and Mademoiselle-chan, I’m glad to see you again!” His long fringe had been pushed back and Shu sucked in a breath at the sight, and looked to Mademoiselle for _any_ sort of help, but she remained silent in his hand. Traitor. 

Shu exhaled and gathered his confidence, “Hmpf, who taught you to address Mademoiselle so casually? You are lucky she has deemed you adequate else I would have to scold you for your manner towards her.”

Kaoru was taken aback to say the least at Shu talking to him, but the blush he noticed that tinged Shu’s cheeks made him smile at the man, rather than take offence to the way he spoke. 

“I’m sorry about that, Shu-san. I’ll be sure to talk to her properly next time I talk to her! What can I help you with today?”

Shu clicked his tongue and made a beeline for one of the stools against the counter with the till and delicately placed Mademoiselle down, then perched himself on one of the stools. “I’m here for flowers, is that not obvious? Has all this pollen somehow caused your brain to malfunction? Why else would I be in a flower shop?”

Kaoru nodded and followed suit, placing himself on the stool on the other side of the counter and giving Shu a look that he didn’t quite understand. “Who are these flowers for, Shu-san?”

Shu’s expression softened as he spoke and Kaoru felt his breath catch in his throat. “They’re for a very dear friend of mine who has his Birthday coming up soon, and I would like to gift him a bouquet. He has an association with the water and the sea, so I would appreciate it if you could incorporate this theme into the bouquet.”

Kaoru nodded in thought, then pulled out a pen and paper and started jotting down a few ideas that immediately sprang to mind. “I won’t be able to finish this today, Shu-san, as I have other orders before you. But if you’re able to wait I can have if done for you in a few days!”

“It will have to suffice: his Birthday isn’t for another few days so I suppose I have to agree to your terms. Take my contacts details and contact me the moment you complete my order. I won’t accept tardiness.”

Kaoru nodded with a smile and offered him the pen and paper, his eyes drawn to the way the pen glided across the paper with Shu’s elegant pen strokes. ‘ _I could watch that all day…’_ he thought to himself as he took the paper back and added it to his orders list. 

Shu looked more nervous in his seat, now, and Kaoru raised an eyebrow at him.

“W-well if there’s no further information you need from me, then I will take my leave. Many thanks, Hakaze.”

『Fufu, thank you very much, Hakaze-kun ♪ 』

“Thank you, Shu-kun, Mademoiselle-chan ☆ I’ll see ya both in a few days!”

Shu exited the store almost immediately, Kaoru once again left alone with his thoughts. 

“Interesting indeed.”

* * *

The next few days passed quickly enough, and when Shu came by to collect the bouquet, he was so overwhelmed with how beautiful it was he’d had to have Mademoiselle speak the whole time. Not that Kaoru minded, though, he found a certain enjoyment in speaking to Mademoiselle. 

Though once Shu had collected the flowers, Kaoru felt almost… sad? He'd only met this man twice but he was _so_ intrigued by his look, mannerisms, and Mademoiselle, but he knew that would be a conversation he wouldn't be able to have for a long time. But Kaoru didn't know how to keep Shu's attention: sure he could just turn the flirting dial up to 10 like he does with girls, but something told him that wouldn't particularly work with Shu.

As it turns out, Kaoru didn't need to attempt to think up some brilliant scheme to woo Shu: Shu was doing it all on his own. He kept returning to Kaoru's shop every week or so, with a different person he was apparently buying a bouquet for, but Kaoru soon latched on to the idea that there was _no_ way Shu was buying this amount of flowers for that many people. The thought warmed Kaoru to his core.

It had been a few months since Shu's initial visit and it was starting to become something of a routine for the pair of them now. Kaoru felt it was time to… confront Shu about it, but the truth was, he was terrified of pushing away the most interesting person he'd ever met. But he didn't want to play it safe anymore: he'd had enough of tiptoeing around Shu and finally wanted to make his move. 

So when Shu turned up at the shop a few days later, Kaoru was ready. He'd already prepared a bouquet for Shu, so when he finally made his way into the shop, Kaoru greeted him with his usual smile. 

"Afternoon, Shu-kun! I'm glad to see you today, I have something for you!"

Shu was clearly taken aback by Kaoru's words but he quickly masked his face back into his usual scowl and seated himself on the stool whilst Kaoru busied himself out of sight. 

『 You have to do it today, Shu-kun! If you don't ask him, then I'll have to do it for you~』

Shu clicked his tongue and Mademoiselle and ran his thumb over her porcelain hair. "I would prefer you not… but you are correct as always, Mademoiselle. To be idle is to be the enemy of progress…"

Kaoru quickly reappeared, carrying a delicate bouquet in his arms: filled with pinks and lilacs, long stems of lily of the valley, and delicate sprays of baby's breath. Shu raised an eyebrow, the confusion obvious on his face as Kaoru handed him the bouquet directly. 

"Has your brain gone soft, Hakaze? I haven't ordered anything yet. Perhaps all this pollen and such has finally gone to your head?"

Kaoru chuckled at him and shook his head, taking a seat opposite him. "I saved you the hassle, Shu-kun! I was wondering who you'd be ordering for this week, so I thought I'd make that decision for you and make a bouquet specially for you!"

Shu's cheeks had started to redden already, but he maintained his composure. "Hmpf, so your business is so bad you have to fill your day making an arrangement no one asked for?"

"That's not it at all, Shu-kun! I wanted to ask you out on a date and it didn't feel right to do that without a gift!" 

"You wanted to w—" Shu stopped mid sentence as he took in _what_ Kaoru said to him, and almost immediately he turned his head away and placed his hand on Mademoiselle.

『Fufu~ It seems like great minds think alike, Hakaze-kun ♪ Shu-kun here has been panicking for most two weeks trying to be brave enough to ask you to dinner~』

"That makes me happy, Mademoiselle-chan! I would very much like to go out to dinner with Shu-kun! Say, Shu-kun? Would you like to go out on a date with me?"

The tips of Shu's ears were bright red, but he managed to exhale a large breath and turn back to Kaoru. 

"I would… quite like to go to dinner with you, Hakaze." 


End file.
